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I've got a cheap one that is really just a 1/2" diameter ceramic rod glued into a hole in a wood handle. it works OK but leaves an edge comparable to what you get off those "crock stick" sharpeners, which is pretty much what it is.... It would not be hard to make a prettier version...but an alumina ceramic rod is not a steel...a smooth steel burnishes, alumina is a fine abrasive, and those steels with the vertical ridges scrape. Depending on the steel the knives will be made of, a smooth steel might be better to refine the edge.

As Mahoney pointed pout, A true "edge steel" is to straighten the burr and refine the edge. It does not sharpen the blade.
A ceramic rod is a fine abrasive rod that grinds down the edge and makes it thinner, thus sharper. Most knife supply companies sell the plain rods in 1/4 to 1/2 inch sizes. Ebay is full of them. The advantage of a round rod over a flat abrasive stone is that it only contacts the edge in one place. This also tends to leave a scratch looking finish on the edge. They are good for touching up a knife before doing some cutting, but using the belt sander set at dead slow with a 400-600 grit belt will produce a better edge.....or use a stone.

Stacy E.Apelt
It is better to die fighting evil than to live under it.

I know its not necesarrily a sharpener, its to remove the burrs. But its called a sharpening steel, or honing steel, sharpening rod, chef's steel, and probably a half dozen others I haven't heard.

Its going to be a set with a carving knife or a chef's knife, so it needs to be a "sharpening steel" style. I was planning on using Elmax or S35VN to make the knives to go along with it. Anbody use a regular steel "sharpening steel" rod on S35VN or Elmax?

S35VN won't work well with a 'steel' as it's not the type where you do the burr thing . For my EDC ,a Sebenza S35VN, I sharpen freehand with a 1200 grit diamond rod to give a very fine serrated edge which I think works very well for that purpose. A ceramic rod would do the same.

That is awesome! What did you use to make the actual sharpening pieces and how did you set em in there?

I took apart an old handheld sharpener, one of those with the strap that protects the knuckles, removed the carbide strips and used CA glue to spot glue the two pieces at the correct angle, 24 degrees. I then set them in place in the drilled hole and poured two part clear casting resin in the hole.
All three blades in the set carry this sharpening angle. It took just a little work to put it together and I figure it will extend the useful life of the blades by years because the users will be sharpening with the correct angle.